News
Papua New Guinea Judiciary Visits ADB to Advance Legal Stability and Investor Confidence
The ADB Office of the General Counsel's Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program team met with Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Chief Justice and senior court members on 6 January 2025, at the ADB Headquarters to strengthen judicial capacity for greater legal predictability and stability.
ADB Strengthens the Fijian Justice System’s Response to Gender-Based Violence
From 23 October to 7 November, and from 15 to 20 December, ADB delivered a series of six workshops in Nadi, Fiji, focused on selected issues concerning gender-based violence (GBV) offenses.
Fiji Enacts Landmark Forestry Act 2025
On 1 December 2025, Fiji’s Parliament enacted the new Forestry Act 2025, a transformative reform that replaces the 1992 Forest Decree and shifts the focus of Fijian forestry legislation from timber extraction to sustainable forest management. The act introduces an innovative operating model that modernizes the management of forest resources and supports economic growth. At the same time, its more efficient enforcement mechanisms will safeguard forest ecosystems and the rights of communities living in them.
MoFAI Convenes Partners and Advisory Council Meeting
The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) convened its first Partners and Advisory Council Meeting on 2 December 2025, bringing together the Executive Board, Advisory Council, Drafting Committee, and Secretariat.
MoFAI Unveils the Preliminary Draft of the Model Framework Forest Act at UNFCCC COP30
The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) presented the preliminary draft of the Model Framework Forest Act at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Forest Pavilion in Belém, Brazil, on 12 November 2025.
ADB Partners with UNCITRAL, Korea Ministry of Justice, and ADBI to Promote Harmonization of ADR Across Asia and the Pacific
On 28 October in Seoul, the ADB Office of the General Counsel joined the Republic of Korea Ministry of Justice, UNCITRAL, ADB Institute, and KCAB International for the ADR Special Session, an annual flagship event promoting legal harmonization across Asia and the Pacific.
ADB, ADBI, and ASEAN Secretariat Promote ADR as a Solution for Trade Disputes
On 8 October 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia, ADB and the ADB Institute (ADBI) organized a workshop on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who are involved in trade, investment, and dispute settlement.
ADB Highlights Legal Reforms to Unlock Agrifinance for Smallholders at APEC Workshop
On 8 October 2025 in Tokyo, ADB General Counsel Thomas Clark spoke at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Workshop on Secured Finance to Facilitate Sustainable Economic Growth and Improve Food Security, organized by the Economic Committee.
ADB Empowers Uzbekistan’s Digital Future Through E-Commerce Training
On 7–8 October 2025, ADB’s Law and Policy Reform (LPR) Program, in partnership with Uzbekistan’s Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship (GSBE), hosted a two-day training seminar titled Empowering Uzbekistan’s Digital Future: E-Commerce Trends, Legal Frameworks, and Global Opportunities.
ADB, ADBI, and UNEP Convene Policy Dialogue on Model Forest Act Initiative Ahead of COP30 in November
On 25 September 2025 in Tokyo, ADB, ADB Institute, and the UN Environmental Programme held consultations on a legal blueprint for modernizing national forest laws being developed under the Model Forest Act Initiative, supported by the ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and other partners.